Steam-spray motor.



PATENTBD JUNE 11, 1907.

J. LOF TUS.

STEAM SPRAY MOTOR.

APPLIOAT'ION FILED MAR. 19, 1007.

2 SHEET8-SKEET 1.

IJNVENTO'R $1M];

WITNESS 6 V O TQQ- Aiiomay PATENTED JUNE 11 1907.

J. LOFTUS.

STEAM SPRAY MOTOR.

APILIOATION IILEI) MAR.19,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNES UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN LOFTUS, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-ILALF TO PETERKINNEAR, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

STEAM-SPRAY MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed March 19, 1907- SBIlfll NO- 363,187-

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN LOFTUS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Spray Motors; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in steam spraymotor wheels, and the object of the invention is to produce an apparatusin which an expansive or elastic motor force, such as steam orcompressed air combined with water, is utilized, and in which the steamis adapted to be condensed within the motor, thereby causing theformation of an expansive spray, the force of which is exerted uponspiral coils mounted within the motor wheel.

The invention consists in various details of construction and incombinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure1 is a vertical sectional view through the motor made in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the motor. Fig. 3is a detail view looking at the edges of the spiral coils. Fig. 4 is asectional view of a slight modification in which the spirals are castintegral with each other. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the hollow rim, andFig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the manner of retaining thedetachable coils from moving independent of the rim of the wheel.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates a hollow rim of the motor wheel which is connected by meansof the spokes B with the hub B which is adapted to be fastened to ashaft B which may be mounted in suitable bearings, not shown. annularslot around its periphery, and the edges of the rim at such slot areformed into flanges B Said rim, which is hollow, has an.

O designates a suitable casing in which the motor wheel is mounted, andl) designates a guard plate which is made on the arc of a circle and isadapted to be held within the casing with its inner face adjacent to themarginal edges of the llanges of said rim. 6o Mounted within said rimare the two spiral coils, designated by letters E and F, respectively,the former of which coils is larger than the latter, and one coil beingcontained within the other. Said spirals are made preferably of a flatwire and are preferably inclined in the positions shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. It will be understood that these coils may be detachablymounted within the rim or formed as an integral part of the rim. 7 Inthe former instance, in which the coils are detachably mounted withinthe rim, they are held from rotation independent of the rim, by anysuitable means, such as eye-bolts H and H, shown clearly in thedrawings. The 7 5 eye-bolts H are longer than the eye-bolts H and areadapted to engage the coils E, the

shank portions of the bolts passing through the rim and held by means ofadjusting nuts it, while the inner coils are engaged by the eye-bolts H,which also pass through the rim and carry the adjusting nuts h, it beingpreferable to allow the inner coil to have a slight expansive movementincident to centrifugal force coming upon the same as the motor isrotated rapidly, and to allow for this expansive force of the innercoil, a slight play is allowed the bolts H.

K designates a steam nozzle, the tapering end of which passes throughthe wall of the 0 casing and also through an aperture formed in theguard or check plate D, and is set tangent to the motor wheel. A shortdistance behind the steam nozzle is a water nozzle N, alsopassingthrough an aperture in the 9 5 casing and said guard plate and tangentto the wheel. Leading from the shell is an exit C, and D designates asecond guard or check plate which is mounted within the casing at oneside of the discharge or exhaust i'oo passageway, a suitable spaceintervening between the corresponding ends oi the two guard or checkplates. \Vhile I have shown the check or guard plates :[ixed permanentlywithin the casing, if desired, they may be made adjustable. I

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have shown a slight modification of myapparatus in which the outer coil S and the inner coil S are castintegral with each other, being connected by suitable ribs S and in thismodified form, the coils may be held in any suitable manner to the rimof the Wheel.

In operation, water either by gravity or pressure is first introducedthrough the water nozzle, and coming in contact with the coils, willcause the motor wheel to rotate. As steam is introduced through thesteam nozzle and comes in contact with the Water in the coils, a rapidcondensation of the steam will ensue, thereby forming a heavy sprayhaving a high velocity, and the expansive force of the spray will beexerted against the coils underneath the check or guard plate, therebyexerting an increasing force up on the spirals. By this manner ofintroducing the water and steam, the water first exerts its power uponthe motor, then, by partially condensing the steam, by introducing thesame inv contact with the water, the heavy spray formed will be moreeffectual as a mo tor force than would the steam alone, and byintroducing the steam and water independent of each other, the entireexpansive force of the steam is exerted upon the coils of the motorwheel.

It will be noted that the guard or check plate through which the nozzlespass, extends-a'slight distance to the rear of the water nozzle for thepurpose of avoiding air currents being carried into the coils by theaction of water and steam therein, and affords a substantially closedpassageway intermediate the guard plate and the coils in which the waterand steam and also the expansive force of the spray may be exerted uponthe two coils. It will be noted that the nozzles pass through the guardplate in close fitting holes so as to prevent the taking in of air whichwould have no power or beneficial effect. By the provision of a secondguard plate, with open spaces between the two plates, means is affordedfor the escape of the w ater and steam after the force of the same hasbeen expended.

' It will be noted that in the construction of a motor made inaccordance with my invention, the coils being acted upon by theexpanding force incident to the condensing of the steam, a continuouscombining tube, involving the principle of an injector, is afforded,whereby a powerful motive force is afforded for rapidly rotating themotor wheel.

That I claim is 1. A steam spray motor. comprising a rotatable wheelhaving a hollow rim, a casing for said wheel, spiral coils mountedWithin said rim, nozzles passing through said casing, tangent to saidwheel, and adapted to admit steam and water independent of each other tosaid spiral coils, as set forth.

2. A steam spray motor, comprising a rotatable wheel having a hollowrim, a casing for said wheel, spiral coils mounted within said rim, aguard plate mounted about a portion of said spiral coils, andtangentially disposed steam and Water nozzles passing through saidcasing and guard plate, as set forth.

3. A steam spray motor, comprising a rotatable wheel having ahollow rim,with an annular slot in the periphery thereof, spiral coils mountedWithin said rim, a guard plate extending about a portion of said coils,a casing about said Wheel, and tangentially disposed steam and waternozzles passing through said casing and guard plate, as set forth.

4. A steam spray motor, comprising a rotatable wheel having a hollowrim, with flanges at the edges thereof which are spaced apart, spiralcoils within the rim, a casing in which the Wheel is mounted, a guardplate mounted within the casing and held adjacent to the marginal edgesof said flanges, and tangential steam and water nozzles passing throughsaid casing and guard plate, as set forth.

5. A steam spray motor, comprising a rotatable wheel having a hollowrim, with flanges at the edges thereof which are spaced apart, spiralcoils within the rim, and detachably held therein, a casing in which themotor wheel is mounted, a guard plate sup ported Within the casing andprovided with apertures, and tangentially disposed steam and waternozzles passing through said casing and apertures of the guard plate, asset forth.

6. A steam spray motor, comprising a rotatable wheel having a hollowrim, with flanges at the edges thereof which are spaced apart, spiralcoils of different diameters, one mounted Within the other, means forallowing the inner coil tohave an expansive move ment incident tocentrifugal movement of the wheel, and means for preventing the coilsfrom moving independent of each other, as set forth. I

7. A steam spray motor, comprising a rotatable wheel having a hollowrim, with flanges at the edges thereof which are spaced apart, spiralcoils of different diameters, one mounted within the other, means forallow-- ing the inner coil to have an expansive move ment incident tocentrifugal movement of the wheel, eye-bolts passing through the rim, awire enga ing the eyes of said bolts and also said coi s, and nutsmounted upon said bolts, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN LOFTUS.

W'itnesses:

JAMES D. PALMATIER, FRED R. OLosE.

ICC

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